The partnership features closer collaboration between the two companies as well as Viking Masek purchasing an undisclosed stake in IAS. The agreement reflects a strong commitment by both companies to provide industry leading automation solutions that help companies increase productivity, improve product quality, and better carry out their manufacturing objectives.

By bringing together expertise in packaging equipment and robotics, the two companies will be able to offer integrated solutions that automate packing, packaging, palletizing and more.

"This partnership will offer our clients new technology that will supercharge their ability to increase efficiency, flexibility, and competitiveness," says RC Huhn, Viking Masek CFO and co-owner. "The combination of IAS robotics with our durable packaging machines and equipment partners will help our clients simplify by providing a single source to meet all of their packaging automation needs."

Existing customers of both Viking Masek and IAS will now have access to a larger solutions portfolio while maintaining the same client-centric service and support approach. Daily operations at both companies will remain unchanged, with each continuing to leverage their existing infrastructure, leadership, and expertise to provide integrated automation solutions to their customers.

"We're incredibly excited to continue the collaboration between our two companies and formally solidify our relationship through this partnership," says Paul Szeflinski, president and founder of IAS. "We are seeing an increasing trend of manufacturers realizing the advantages automating their most important processes.

By bringing together the integrated packaging system machine capabilities of Viking Masek with the robotic and automation abilities of IAS, we are able to provide solutions that address more areas of the modern factory and ultimately provide deeper value to our clients." Viking Masek has provided integrated packaging systems to manufacturers and contract packagers since 2004. After experiencing unprecedented growth, the company recently began a 33,000 sq ft expansion of its US headquarters in Oostburg, Wisconsin.